SAN FRANCISCO -- The press conference room inside Chase Center was nearly empty 90 minutes before tip-off of the first Game 7 in WNBA history when a restless Gabby Williams addressed a handful of journalists, largely in French. Her few words in English were succinct. "I'm feeling great, I'm feeling excited.
I'm ready to have some fun tonight," Williams said. It was standing room only when Williams returned an hour after the final buzzer and walked to the podium, Finals MVP trophy in hand, purple goggles resting atop a backwards hat. Her grey Golden State Valkyries "WNBA Champions" shirt was soaked with champagne.
In between, over the most stressful 40 minutes of the season, Williams had delivered one of the greatest performances in WNBA history: 30 points – 28 in the second half – three rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks to lead the Valkyries to a 68-63 win and their first championship in franchise history. Her 28 points after the break were the most in a single half in WNBA playoff history, and her 30 points were tied for the most in a winner-take-all Finals game. "I just want to say I'm super impressed by Gabby," Kiah Stokes said before handing her a bottle of wine to swig from.
"I'm very, very proud of her, and I'm just glad that tonight she showed who she really can be. She's been our leader, she's been our offense, the head of it all season. … I'm glad to call you my teammate. We could not have done this without you." Back in 2023, when the Valkyries were little more than an idea, owner Joe Lacob sat on a stage on the Chase Center court and made a bold statement: "I'm telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise." The Valkyries did it in two, becoming the fastest expansion franchise to win a championship in North American sports history.
It never would have happened without Williams. The Valkyries had targeted Williams in 2025, ahead of their inaugural season, but she was cored by the Seattle Storm. When Williams hit unrestricted free agency last offseason, the Valkyries knew they could not miss their chance.
Even Lacob got involved in the recruitment process from thousands of miles away. "She was in Turkey when I talked to her. It was an almost hour-long conversation.
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